Tag Archives: textiles

The All White Landscape

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m making a series of lessons showing how I make different elements for a mini fabric landscapes. What I neglected to mention is that I would be starting with white fabric (Thank you, Snarky Quilter!). Here is the piece in progress, which means these pieces are not attached and there may be changes. I find looking at a photo of the piece, using a mirror or walking away for a while, can be helpful in figuring out what may need to be tweaked. I have some ideas for change already. There will be thread play and quilting over the entire piece, so if it appears to be lacking that may just be where I plan to stitch more colors and nature bits.

I used different techniques for each of these elements – Rocks (as mentioned in previous post), the most forward foreground, second foreground, water & sky, tiny hills/mountains, and tree trunks. I hope you will stay tuned and thanks for stopping by!

Taking a walk…

One of my “kids” had an appointment and the other was going to the zoo to take photographs so I tagged along. I walked through Balboa Park which is where our world famous zoo is, stopping at the reflecting pond, it was nice to see this artist painting.

It was a beautiful day and the flowers were blooming pretty.

Speaking of flowers; here is a detail peek of my painted quilt (lighting not so good, sorry). See a reminder of what it looked like before it was a painted quilt.

I Don’t Do Hearts…

Well, I should say I didn’t do hearts! I’m not much of a heart person though I got married in February (38 years ago and not on Valentine’s Day) but I have a dear one who loves hearts and asked me to make her a small textile heart art piece for her newly renovated home.

Batik hearts on silk background (sorry it’s a little blurred)

So that got me creating hearts. Up in the Patterns and Supply Lists tab is a free printable hearts MeAnnder for you and/or someone you know to color in. I print mine on card stock because I like the smoothness under the markers I use. I think it could make a nice frame for a photograph, a sentiment or even a quilt label. Do you have other ideas?

And as always, if you color my MeAnnder hearts doodle in let me know by sending me a photo and with your permission, I’ll share it here on my blog.

Fiber and Wood

I know technically wood is fiber but in this case it is second to the fabric fiber. Here is one of my mini art quilts, from the flora series, mounted on acrylic and displayed on a pieces of (old pallet) hardwood. The top is hand appliqued because at that time I didn’t realize just how short life is! It is pillowcase turned and free-motion machine quilted (see back quilted here).

They are heavy so I have added 1/2″ stick-on (drawer) bumper “feet” to protect the surface they are set on and to keep them from sliding around.

Do you have a less than traditional way you display small art quilts? I’m going to do more mounting on canvas too.

Carving and Printing

I have had a small lino block for some time now but keep putting off carving it. There seems to be a bit of fear! In the meantime I have been carving Speedball Speedy Carve rubber and having a blast with it! Printing on silk organza, as well as hand painted and dyed cotton using textile paint. Then I used the textile paint on a Gelli Arts plate and I just love how the results don’t look much like the original print (clear and clean) but more like a fern. Have you used these product? How were your results?

Fabric is Just a Different Animal

There is just something about working on and with fabric that I love. As I have mentioned before – generally painting on fabric is more challenging than on paper, especially when trying to achieve a watercolor effect. Paint doesn’t move much, if at all, when placed on dry fabric. Even wet on wet has limited movement when the surface is fabric, and there is no “lifting” the paint once it is down. I like all of the challenges and exploring ways to produce pleasing fabric and art despite them. And sometimes it seems that the planets align and there’s a surprising outcome. That was the case with my elephants and they (along with a nice photo) became a Photograph on Fiber series piece.

Textile paint poured & tilted on fabric. The elephants just happened!

the elephants detail — The dimensional leaves are painted and cut Lutradur

elephants photo fiber — Elephant photograph taken by D & A Guild while traveling in Africa

Pieces from my Photographs on Fiber series will be on Special Exhibit at the 2016 San Diego Quilt Show . I teach a 15 lesson course at Curious.com/fiberdesignsbyann on how to make a framed version Photograph on Fiber pieces.

Making Fabric, sort of…

I have been playing with a few fabric design ideas; some are hand painted, others are completely designed on the computer and I have scanned/photographed my hand painted fabric and altered them using software filters. I’m also collaborating with a talented artist (more about that later) and having pieces printed by Spoonflower.

Speaking of Spoonflower – fellow blogger and artist Joanna Mack, The Snarky Quilter has written a couple blog posts about her experience after ordering fabric pieces from Spoonflower. You may want to hop over and read what she has to say. I appreciate SQ doing the research on a few other companies as well, and sharing her thoughts and results.

For the following pieces I used water thinned acrylic paint and an acrylic sheet (aka Plexiglass or Perspex) and created poured “paintings” that I photographed with the intention of having printed on fabric or using as inspiration for hand painted pieces.

Below are three designs I’m submitting for consideration to the Andover Fabrics and SAQA Golden Hour fabric line project. Whether any of my designs are selected or not I’m looking forward to seeing other entries. Have you combined fabric, paint, and computer software to design your own fabric?

Cloud Dance — My hand painted fabric after being altered with a filter

Flowers and a New Video

The weather is warm here, some would say hot but as I have probably said before I’m cold if it gets much cooler than 75 degrees. The garden looks like spring with flowers, bees, birds, butterflies, and lizards!My first irises have come up. I didn’t plant these here, they were displaced when the back garden was professionally reconstructed but they ended up in a perfect location. I thought I would share a few of my iris quilts from the past…

Iris head is from a pattern by Grannie "G" Applique — Iris head is from a pattern by Grannie “G” Applique

I only make and use original designs now but years ago I bought and use a part of a pattern from Grannie “G” Applique for this last piece (the iris head). I think she has some of the most beautiful applique designs and patterns! Geri was kind enough to feature this on her website way back then.

While we are talking flowers, here is my most recent video lesson for a fun and simple flower project:

Poinsettia Wall Hanging

I’m happy to let you know that my video – “How to Make a Painted and Quilted Poinsettia Wall Hanging” is up on YouTube! It is three videos that include thirteen sections from how to stiffen the fabric, to painting and quilting, to attaching the branch for hanging. I used the quilled fabric beads from my previous video lesson for the poinsettia center.

I hope you will check out my YouTube channel and take a look at my new and older videos. And if you do – Thanks for watching and thanks too for visiting my blog.

Quilting and Painting Away, Ann

Art Imitating Nature…

As I mentioned recently we have had windy, rainy weather and that means a lot of palm fronds have sailed to the ground all over town. This reminded me to share the little art quilt below. A while ago I was experimenting with a piece of my hand painted fabric that had been treated with Terial Magic Spray Stabilizer and then put through a pasta machine. The experiment was a failure but I decided rather than waste the fabric I would try to make a small art quilt using it. Once I started working with the fabric I kept thinking it reminds me of something but I couldn’t put my finger on it… until my Mister and I were walking at the bay. There I saw a piece of fallen palm frond and as soon as I saw it I said out loud “That’s it!” When the strands of fiber separate they make thinner, thread like strands running perpendicular and that is exactly what I got when I pulled the fabric apart.

The tentative title is The Wind Dancers…Notice I hand embroidered tiny leaves, ballet shoes, and then French knots on a skirt of silk. So much fun! It makes me think of a forest of trees swaying in the wind.

wind dancers detail — The Wind Dancers – detail

Sometimes failures bring on happy endings… Have you resurrected what you thought was a failed piece only to rework it into a happy ending?

Fiber Designs by Ann

Fiber art Design, Instruction, Sales